


The Slow Path

by Redqueenswrath



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Planet, F/M, Rating May Change, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 06:04:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6503827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redqueenswrath/pseuds/Redqueenswrath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the TARDIS crash lands on an alien planet, leaving the Doctor and Rose stranded, they must learn to adapt to the local culture while they work out how to repair the damage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Slow Path

CHAPTER 1

 

The Doctor slowly came to, his vision clouded by smoke. He coughed violently and rolled onto his back, staring up at ceiling of the TARDIS console room and willed his mind to focus and take stock of his injuries. His head throbbed and there was blood dripping into his right eye, he could feel a rib shifting as he gasped for breath, and he was covered in multiple cuts and bruises. He groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position. Nearby, Rose gave a pained whimper. His own pain immediately forgotten, he crawled to her side.

"Rose? Rose, are you ok?" He brushed her blond hair out of her face, wincing when he saw the growing black eye that marred her face. She groaned again and her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" She tried to sit up and bit back another whimper, cradling her left wrist. The Doctor took her hand gently, feeling for a break. "I don't know. We fell out of the vortex and crashed. I don't think it's broken, just sprained." She smiled faintly in relief. "Is the TARDIS ok?" The Doctor frowned and put his hand on the time rotor. He received a pulse of green light in return, weak and faint. He closed his eyes and brushed his mind against the entity that was his beloved time ship. A moment later, he looked over at Rose, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears. Rose took his hand.

"She's hurt badly, Rose. Whatever happened completely drained her. She needs to refuel on vortex energy in order to fix herself." Rose ran her hand across the console, trying to comfort the stricken TARDIS. The Doctor stood and paced around the room, taking in the destruction all around him. Pieces of the coral struts lay scattered across the floor, the metal floor was buckled and cracked in multiple places, and there was smoke billowing out from under the console. He also noted that the door leading to the rest of the ship was missing. Rose followed his gaze, gasping when she saw where the hallway used to be.

"What're we gonna do?" She whispered. The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, thinking fast. "We'll have to head out and find out where we are. Maybe we can find a town or something, and then come up with a better plan." He passed the sonic over her eye and wrist, healing the worst of the damage, then tended his own forehead and rib. It wasn't a substitute for a real medibay, but it would do for now. Rose nodded determinedly and let the Doctor haul her to her feet. She wobbled a bit and the Time Lord gently steadied her until she seemed more stable. He took her hand, and the pair stepped through the wooden doors. They were immediately greeted by a gust of hot, dry air. Rose blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the blazing sunlight. Just a little ways to their left was a collection of buildings, the same color of the sand under their feet. Rose almost cried in relief. They'd had the incredible good fortune to land on an inhabited planet! The pair shared a relieved grin and set off toward the town.

The Doctor led his injured companion through appeared to be the town square. It was paved in smooth stones the same red shade as Rose's favorite lipstick. There was a beautiful fountain in the middle, and the edges of the square were surrounded by tents and stalls, but there were no people around. Rose pointed that out to the Doctor. He smiled with pride and complimented her on her observation. "I'm almost certain that this is Caleroi Five. Because of the twin suns, most of the inhabitants take a rest period during the heat of the day." She nodded.

"That makes sense. It's crazy hot!" The pair pressed on, finally locating the local hostel. The moment they stepped inside, Rose noticed a drastic change in the temperature. The Doctor immediately went over to the counter and rang the small bell. Rose turned in a slow circle, taking in the room. The walls appeared to be something like adobe and the floor was the same red stone as the courtyard outside. Oil lamps adorned the walls, unlit for the moment. A collection of chairs, woven from some sort of reed, were clustered around a large fireplace. She couldn't see any mechanism to keep the building cool, but she was grateful nonetheless. She turned to watch the Doctor, who was haggling enthusiastically with the humanoid behind the counter. He (she? Rose wasn't quite sure) had dark amber skin and long black hair that was tied back in a braid. The facial features were rather nondescript and didn't immediately give away the gender, though Rose was surprised to see that the ears were high and pointed. Multiple golden hoops adorned one ear, and the lowest one was attached by a fine gold chain to a red stud in the nose. The Doctor caught her watching and waved her over.

"Sara-Rose, I'd like you to meet Si-Lumi, the owner of this establishment. Lumi, this is my companion, Rose Tyler." The humanoid extended a hand. Rose took it, but instead of a handshake, the being brought Rose's knuckles to his (her?) lips.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sia-Rose." The voice was distinctly male. Rose blushed faintly at the knowing smile that he offered her. He returned to his conversation with the Doctor. "We do not see offworlders very frequently, Si-Doctor, but I am pleased to be able to offer you one of our finest rooms. I am sorry that such dire circumstances have brought you to our world, but I hope that your stay will be comfortable." Lumi offered them a pair of keys. The Doctor pocketed them, inclining his head.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Si-Lumi. It is much appreciated." Lumi gave a short bow, touching his fingers to his lips, then his forehead. "The ab'uala will be over soon, should you need to purchase anything from our shops. Please enjoy your stay." The Doctor mimicked Lumi's earlier bow and nudged Rose with his foot. She copied him, wondering what the gesture meant. 'Some sort of thank-you, I s'pose.' she thought. The Doctor took her hand and led her down the hallway. They made their way slowly, the Doctor scanning the doors for their room number. Rose commented that the doors were strangely far apart, but the Doctor just smiled mysteriously. Finally, he halted in front of a door whose little bronze plaque proclaimed "Suite 15". Rose blinked and the number shimmered, becoming a strange swirling symbol for a moment before shifting back to the English label. The Doctor frowned.

"The TARDIS is still trying to translate for you, but she's got so little power.... I'm sorry." Rose stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Doctor, it's ok. Tell her that she shouldn't waste energy on something so trivial. She should focus on getting herself well again. I can manage without the translations." The Doctor stared at her, pride welling up in his chest. His brave Rose was always thinking of others instead of herself. He nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on the mental link between him and his ship. The link wavered in his mind, but the TARDIS offered him a weak greeting anyways. He relayed Rose's request, receiving a warm pulse of gratitude for the pink-and-yellow human. Rose watched the exchange with interest. She didn't get to see him communicate with the TARDIS on this level very frequently. She glanced back up at the door, and the alien symbol was back. Beside her, the Doctor opened his eyes and let them into the room.

Instead of a normal hotel room like she'd expected, Rose was pleasantly surprised to see what looked like a small apartment. The main room seemed like a sitting room/dining area, with a kitchenette off to one side behind a counter. The Doctor nudged her with his hip. "Go look around." She obeyed, sticking her tongue out at him. A quick perusal of the apartment revealed a small balcony overlooking the square, a bathroom of sorts with a large stone tub, and (slightly worrisome) a single bedroom. The bed was easily big enough for two people (actually, it would comfortably sleep six or seven, a rude little voice in the back of her mind commented), but she wondered how the Doctor would react. Probably by babbling incoherently and sleeping on the couch in the sitting room. A prickle of annoyance at that thought welled up, but Rose quickly stomped on it. There was no point in wishing for something that was impossible, she reminded herself. Stepping back out into the sitting room, she found the Doctor sitting on the very couch she'd just thought about. He'd tossed his long coat across a chair and was in the process of unbuttoning his shirt. Rose froze in surprise, as did he.

"M'sorry Doctor, I'll..." She started. He chuckled ruefully. "It's ok, Rose. I actually might need your help. My back got torn up in the crash and I can't reach all of the cuts." He gestured with the sonic screwdriver, which he had been using on his various cuts and bruises on his arms. Rose winced in sympathy, knowing she didn't look any better. She stepped closer and helped him out of his shirt and tie, noticing the dark bruise that covered most of his left side. He caught her stare.

"Cracked a rib or three. I'll be ok. I already healed the worst of it, the bruise can wait. Speaking of bruises...." He pointed the sonic at her eye and Rose immediately felt the swelling go down. “Good as new!" He grinned manically, then took her injured wrist in his hand and healed that, too. Rose smiled, her tongue between her teeth, and repeated the 'thank you' gesture she'd learned earlier. The Doctor froze, absolutely gob smacked, then beamed at her.

"Very good, Rose! You caught on very quickly!" He repeated the gesture. "This means 'thank you'. And this," he pressed his fingers together like a prayer and touched his chin "means 'you're welcome'." Rose copied him, and he smiled broadly. Rose felt a flutter in her stomach at his praise. He passed her the sonic and turned his back. Rose bit back a gasp at the amount of cuts that crossed his back, some of which were quite deep. The shirt he'd discarded was caked with dried blood and most likely ruined. She ran the blue light over the injuries slowly, watching with fascination as the skin slowly knitted. He'd shown her how to do this on a previous adventure gone wrong, but it never failed to intrigue her. To take her mind off the expanse of skin exposed to her, she started questioning him.

"So what did the things you and Lumi said mean?" He shifted uncomfortably at the bizarre sensation the healing caused. "Well, ab'uala is the afternoon rest period. The people here have a system of honorifics that describe your relationship with someone when attached to a name. Si is a male acquaintance of similar social standing, and Sia is a female acquaintance. Sora is a close male friend, a beloved, while Sara is the female version." He paused, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as she processed this. He wasn't sure how she'd take that particular revelation. The definition he had given didn't quite describe the depth of implication behind the word Sara, but he wasn't quite willing to tell her that. To a native, it was a claim, a declaration of a deep bond. He cleared his throat and moved on quickly.

"I can teach you some basic vocabulary, if you'd like." He offered. She nodded enthusiastically, hungry for knowledge of their surroundings. The Doctor smiled, sparing a thought for the naive 19-year-old she had once been. At that age, she had been much less interactive with their surroundings on trips, preferring to stay in his shadow and accept things at face value. Now....now she leapt in with both feet, eager to learn about the locals. He was so proud of his companion. Coming out of his reverie, swept his arm around to the whole apartment. "This is a rat'aa, a hostel, akin to a bed-and-breakfast on Earth." Rose repeated the word, grinning happily. He returned the smile and continued, pointing at the woven chair across from them. "Haalen: chair. Almost all of the chairs and couches you'll encounter will be made from the same fiber, taken from the tecii plant. Tecii is similar to bamboo, and is used in everything from cloth to food. Haalona: couch." Rose followed along, repeating the strange words. He gently corrected her pronunciation of tecii, making it sound like "tee-chee". Rose said it again, and he smiled proudly again. Rose's heart jumped, and she immediately vowed to learn everything she could so he'd look at her like that frequently.

Rose continued her ministrations as the Doctor continued his lesson. Rose dutifully tried to memorize the words he gave her; Ell and Ella: the male and female personal pronouns, tao: you, taota: they, abel and aben: respectful terms for older male and older female, shi'al: a shop. Finally, she was satisfied with her handiwork and passed the sonic back to him. The Doctor rolled his shoulders and popped his neck, seeming to enjoy the lack of stiffness the injuries had caused.

He gestured turned to her and gestured for her to turn around. Suddenly, she was blushing again. "Rose," he said softly, "I know you're as torn up as I was. Let me help you." He gently tugged at the hem of her shirt, which was in no better condition than his had been. She obliged, hoping that he wouldn't notice how red her skin was turning. He began running the screwdriver over her injured skin, his hands trembling slightly. To cover his nervousness, he kept talking. Rose tried her best to keep up, repeating terms as he said them. They seemed to be random- he taught her the names of the two suns (Ket'aana and Beliel), followed by the term for the terracotta tiles that made up the roof (ispela), which led into a rambling lecture on how the adobe walls (Shi'ili) were made from a mix of sand, water, and tecii fibers because true wood was very rare on this desert planet and therefore extremely expensive.  
The red stone that seemed to make up the floors and roadways alike was dalon, an abundant stone that naturally fractured along smooth lines and was perfect for paving. Finally, the Doctor pronounced Rose completely healed. She tugged her shirt back down, grimacing in disgust as the dirty garment touched her skin again. The Doctor privately agreed. He was feeling rather rank, himself.

Rose stood up, smiling shyly at her friend. "Well, Sora-Doctor, shall we go out to the shi'al and find ourselves some new clothes?" The Doctor's hearts clenched at the term. If only she knew what it truly meant... He shook himself mentally and nodded. Her enthusiasm was contagious as the pair made their way out of the rat'aa, hand in hand. Rose was startled by the difference in the square. With the ab'uala over, the inhabitants of the town had all gone back to their daily business. The twin suns had passed their zenith and were on their way to the horizon, and the temperature had dropped a bit. Rose sighed in relief and enthusiastically tugged the Doctor in the direction of a stall that sold clothing. The Time Lord chuckled in amusement- it didn't matter where they were, Rose would always love to shop.

The stall's owner, an elderly woman, spotted them immediately and rushed to greet them. She began speaking to Rose in the musical, lilting language. Rose shook her head in confusion, unable to catch anything. The Doctor stepped forward and addressed the woman. She smiled at Rose, an understanding expression crossing her sun-weathered features. She took the younger woman's hand and guided her to the rack of clothing, pulling several off to show her. Turning back to the Doctor, the woman shooed him towards a different stall. He bowed and made the gesture for 'thank you' and set off.

The clothes were unlike anything Rose had ever seen before, and she didn't have the faintest idea how to convey to the older woman that she didn't even know how to wear them. The woman chattered on, picking out several pieces of cloth for Rose, unaware of her confusion. Rose finally tapped her shoulder.

"Sia-Aben...." she murmured, and the woman turned around. An approving smile grew on her wrinkled face. Rose gestured at the clothing and gave an exaggerated confused look. The woman nodded in understanding. She held up one finger in a surprisingly human gesture for patience. 'I guess some things are universal.' Rose thought. The woman touched her own chest. "Liallana" She enunciated clearly, then touched Rose's shoulder. Rose smiled from ear to ear. She touched pointed at the woman. "Sia-Liallana," She pointed to herself "Ella, Rose." Liallana mirrored Rose's smile. Liallana gestured to Rose. "Sia-Rose...." She swept her hand down her own body and pointed at the clothing on the rack. "Neiva". Rose touched the cloth and repeated the term, earning a nod. Liallana held up several choices and finally seemed to settle on one. It was a beautiful deep purple trimmed in gold beads. Liallana ushered Rose behind a screen and helped her out of her ruined outfit. Rose felt slightly embarrassed but Liallana didn't bat an eye. 'She must do this frequently' Rose thought. Liallana held up her finger again and stepped out, returning with two smaller lengths of cloth that matched the gold trim on the other cloth. One she wrapped around Rose's chest like a breast band, showing her how to tuck it to provide support. It was surprisingly comfortable, Rose mused. The second piece of cloth went around her hips, wrapping twice before dipping between her legs and tucking into the back. Again, the silken cloth was shockingly comfortable against her skin, and Rose made the 'thank you' gesture, bowing deeper than she usually did in the hopes that it would convey her deep gratitude. Liallana nodded and pressed her closed hands to her chin before setting about teaching Rose to wrap the final length of cloth around her body. It seemed to work quite like a sari from Earth. It exposed a bit of the golden breast band, which seemed more like a short top now.

Liallana guided Rose out from behind the screen and retrieved a pair of small golden combs. The old woman swept Rose's hair up and off of her neck, securing it in a loose bun with the combs. Rose looked at her with the confused expression again. Liallana pointed out into the market, at a group of children who were splashing in the fountain. All of the little girls had their hair down, but the women who sat nearby watching them all had their hair up. The old woman held her hand at hip height and said "ameri", then gestured at Rose and herself "mela". Rose nodded and took her hair down, reciting "ameri" and held her hand to child's height, then put her hair back up and repeated "mela!" Liallana clapped and nodded. Rose smiled. Apparently, only young children wore their hair completely loose.

Another thought crossed Rose's mind as she watched the natives milling about the square. She kicked off her trainers, which probably should be thrown away anyways, and pointed at her bare feet. Liallana laughed and produced a pair of light sandals, seemingly made of the same tecii weave as the woven chairs in Rose's room. The grandmotherly woman showed her how to wrap the straps up her toned calves. Rose wiggled her painted toes, causing Liallana to laugh again. The two women selected several wraps and the matching undergarments, all in colors that would compliment Rose's flaxen hair. A quiet cough from behind them made Rose jump. She spun around, the neiva swirling around her. The Doctor stood leaning against the support post for the tent, a huge grin lighting up his face. Rose paused for a moment, drinking in his new appearance. He wore a sleeveless deep blue tunic that reached just below his knees and creamy trousers. The tunic was covered in swirling designs that matched the color of the pants. His feet were clad in sandals similar to the ones Rose wore. Her breath caught in her throat- he was absolutely gorgeous.

The Doctor was having similar thoughts as he looked at his companion, stunning in the royal purple neiva. He stepped closer and took her hand, kissing her knuckles as Lumi had done earlier. "Hello, Sara-Rose. You look beautiful." He whispered against her skin. Rose blushed scarlet and smiled at him. "Hello yourself, Sora-Doctor." Liallana smiled indulgently at the pair. The Doctor turned to the shopkeeper and gestured his thanks to her, presenting her with several small gold coins. Liallana bowed in gratitude and bundled Rose's new clothing into a woven basket designed to be worn over one shoulder.

"Sia-Rose, ma seranas!" The older woman exclaimed, touching Rose's shoulder affectionately. Rose glanced at the Doctor for a translation. "She invites you to return soon. Say 'Noma hi'shan'." He whispered in her ear. Rose dutifully recited the phrase, storing it away in her mind for later. Liallana smiled kindly and the pair exited the tent.

"Doctor, what does 'noma hi'shan' mean?" She questioned. "Until we meet again." He translated for her. Rose recited it to herself several times as they walked, hand in hand. Her stomach growled loudly and the Doctor tried (but failed) to hide a snicker. Rose poked him in the stomach in mock annoyance. "What is there to eat here?" She asked him. He gave her a manic grin. "Oh Rose, you're going to LOVE the food!" He took the pack basket from her and shouldered it, tugging her through the market. On the other side of the fountain, an open-air fire was surrounded by a cluster of hallen. The Time Lord led Rose over to it. Rose's nose was met with the smells of grilled food as they got closer. The Doctor nudged her towards a chair and went to talk to the man who was standing beside the fire pit. A few quick words and a small coin later, the Doctor returned to Rose with a pair of skewers. He handed them to Rose and darted off again. While he was gone, Rose examined the food. It seemed like some assortment of meat and vegetables like a shish kabob. She was about to take a nibble when the Doctor returned, two ceramic cups in his hands.

Rose took a sip out of the offered cup, pleasantly surprised by the chilled fruity drink that met her tongue. It was light and sweet without being overpowering, perfect for this hot climate. The Doctor held up his own skewer.

"The meat is from the local goat-type creature, the bebari. They're also milked. The vegetables... I'm not really sure, but they'll taste fantastic, I promise." He pulled a piece of bebari meat from the stick and popped it into his mouth, and Rose followed suit. The meat wasn't stringy like she'd expected, but rather creamy and nutty tasting. She swallowed her morsel and tried a piece of orange vegetable. It was sweet and crunchy, reminding Rose of a bell pepper. She slowly made her way through the entire stick. Each bite was a bit different than the last, and she found herself enjoying it greatly. The Doctor watched her, hardly tasting his own food. The sense of pride swelled again. She was always game to try anything he put in front of her, and never turned her nose up at food without trying it. Rose polished off her kebab and drank her juice, feeling wonderfully refreshed.

"What's this called, Doctor?" He started and realized he hadn't heard her question. She repeated it and he scrambled for the right terms.

"The kebab is fla-nan, which refers to any combination of roasted meat and vegetables on a stick. The juice is from the bebe fruit. There really isn't an equivalent on Earth." Rose repeated the two new words, earning another of the Doctor's beaming smiles. He stood up and returned the cups to the vendor and threw the empty kebabs into the fire. "Let's take you clothes back to the rat'aa and see how we're stocked for food." He suggested and Rose readily agreed.

Back in their room, Rose stored her nievas in the wardrobe. She gave her old clothes a look of disgust before tossing them in the trash bin. There was no rescuing that outfit. With that settled she joined the Doctor in the kitchenette. Every single cupboard was flung open, and he was staring around the room in dismay. The only contents were a few earthenware cups and bowls, and what looked like chopsticks.

"No food?" She asked and he nodded. She spotted a large object in the corner, across from a small fireplace. It was a large ceramic pot with a cloth on top. She lifted the cloth and was surprised to find another, smaller pot inside it, surrounded by sand.

"Doctor, what's this?" She asked. He looked up at the pot. "That, my dear Rose, is how you keep food cool in the desert with no electricity! You pour water on the sand and the cloth. The water evaporates slowly, cooling the inner pot. It’s called a zeer on Earth, and a ze’ra here. It actually originated on Caleroi and was accidently taken to Earth during the time of the Pharos.” Rose nodded, digesting the information. The Doctor hopped to his feet. “Rose, you’re exhausted. Why don’t you stay here and rest, and I’ll go back out for food.” Rose stifled a yawn, suddenly too worn out to protest. She nodded absently and went back out to the sitting room as the Doctor gathered the carrying basket. By the time he was ready, Rose was already dozing off in the haalona. He paused for a moment, watching her sleep. Her head was resting on the little decorative pillow, her hair spilling all over. Though she would never admit it, she was snoring softly. The Doctor thought it might just be the cutest noise he’d ever heard. He finally tore himself away from the adorable picture she presented and headed off into the market.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of something I started a very long time ago. Not beta read, all grammatical and spelling errors are my own. Comments, critiques, and snide remarks below!


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